is written thus Qui illicite alium Excom c. He that unlawfully Excommunicates another condemneth himself and not another That our Love must be Catholick HOmily of Christian Love and Charity p. 36. Charity is to love every man good and evil friend and foe and whatsoever Cause be given to the Contrary yet nevertheless to bear good will and heart to every man to use our-selves well unto them as well in Words and countenances as in all other Acts and deeds for so Christ himself taught and so also he performed indeed and for as much as the Pharisees with their false glosses had Corrupted this love of our neighbour teaching that this love and Charity pertained only unto a mans friends Christ gave this Godly law of Charity a true and clear interpretation that we ought to love every man both friend and foe adding thereto the Commodity to be the Children of our heavenly Father and this we shall be sure of saith Christ if we love every man without exception Conformists Plea for Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 106. The salutations of the Holy Apostles expressed their largeness and their Catholick love to the Corinthians among whom were great divisions to the Galatians and Colossians among whom were some very Erroneous so did their Benedictions peace be to Brethren and Love c. And Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6.23 and verse 2. Bishop Davenants Letter to Duraeus Whether we will or no it s necessary that we all own Christ as our elder Brother and joyn in strict and Brotherly Communion with all that are his Brethren Moreover all must confesse true and genuine Charity is as necessary to the Salvation of all the Members of the Christan Churches as the true and entire profession of Saving faith Christ having made this love the Cognizance Whereby to discriminate his disciples and those who falsely professe his name he puts this question Whether it be safe Pious or suitable to the duty of Christian Churches not to stretch forth the right hand of Brotherly affection to those Churches which though they differ and in some lesser matters err may notwithstanding be Christs Martyrs and our holy Brethren Mr. Thomas Pierce on St. John the 13.35 Our love must be so extensive that it must reach even to all not only to our fellow-disciples but to all men living upon earth it must reach even to our enemies not onely to those without the pale of the Church who do us little or no hurt even Jews Turks Insidels and Hereticks for whom we pray once in a year in our English Liturgy but to our Crueller enemies within the Church P. 414. item 282. Whom our Lord hath enjoyned us not onely to forgive but pray for to love their souls to pray for their repentance and desire they may be sharers of immortality and blisse of which we shall not have the lesse but rather the more for having sharers and tells us on St. John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples c Love to Christians as Christians is as the badge and Cognizance the testimony and proof of our real discipleship under Christ and the firmest bond to hold us together in peace and love not so much that we are of one Countrey but that we are of one Christ or to expresse it with St. Paul that we have but One Faith One Baptism Doct. Hammonds Pract. Catechism under meekness to continue constant to the doctrine of the Catholick Church and maintain the inward Communion that of Charity with all the true Church of God wheresoever they are and with particular Churches so far as to embrace them with the armes of Christian Charity to joyn even with the erroneous Churches so far as they are not erroneous Separating onely from their Corruptions Idem on first Epist of St. John 3.14 We know that we are regenerate Christians by our Chariry to other men which he that hath not is clearly an unregenerate unchristian person Idem the first Epist St. John 4.7 And evidence of our being from God is Charity to our fellow Christians for that is most strictly commanded and exemplified to us from God and no practice renders us so like to Gods example and so concordant to his precepts as the sincere exercise of this duty Dr. Barrow 's Vnity of the Church annexed to his Treatise against the Popes Supremacy P. 36. The genuine meaning of that article Catholick Church may reasonably be deemed this that we professe our adhering to the body of Christians which diffused over the World doth retain the saith taught the Discipline settled the practises appointed by our Lord and Saviour and his Apostles that we maintain general Charity towards all good Christians that we are ready to entertain Communion in holy offices with all such Item on Rom 12.18 pag. 230 231. Serm. 3. pursue peace with all without any exception with men of all Nations Jewes and Greeks and Barbarians of all Sects and Religions persecuteing Jews and Idolatrous Heathens as at that time men of all judgments and perswasions Neither is there any evading our obligation to this duty by pretending of others that they entertain opinions irreconcileably contrary to ours that they adhere to Sects and Parties which we dislike and disavow that they are not so vertuous so Religious so Holy as they should be or at least not in such a mannner as we would have them Bishop Saundersons Sermon 3. Ad Aulam sect 39. Here is that evil partiality we are to take heed of when we restrain the Brotherhood or Neighbour to some one party or society in the Church such as we think good of and exclude the rest as if they had no part or fellowship in this Brotherhood nor consequently any right to that special affection where with we are to love the Brethren which partiailty hath indeed been the very bane of the Churches unity and peace and the chief Cause both of the beginning and of the Continuance of most of the Schisms under which Christendom hath groaned from time to time Englands Black Tribunal p. 222. As I am a Member of this Church so I am a Member of the Holy Catholick Church as I hold Communion with so I love and honour all Christians in the World that love the same Lord Jesus in sincerity and call on his name agreeing with those Truths that are absolutely necessary and clearly demonstrated in the Word of God though in charity dissenting from some others that are not necessary Dr. Hewyt's Speech at the Scaffold Dr Alestrey's Sermon p. 168. Our Saviours addition Matth. 5.44 saith that we must love our Enemies The Christians hath no Canaanites as Deut. 7. but the most prosligate Adversaries of his Religion he must love and pray for them although they persecute him which makes appear it doth at least include enemies of Religion for persecutions seldom were upon any other ground And Christ hath proved that the
and we wholly deny that the Mistakes and Disorders of Christians in complying with or joyning themselves unto such Churches as we think have no warrantable Institution ought to be any Cause of the diminishing of our Love towards them Mr. Tombs the most Learned Anabaptist that ever I converst with does very much Lament the great Animosities amongst Christians and the sad Face of things in Europe upon that account which saith he should move every Tender-hearted Christian to endeavour to allay those heats lest a deluge of Popery or Mahometanism overwhelm us for though Difference in Opinion should be incurable yet Discords among Christians are not incurable so long as they agree in the Substantials of Religion And he gives many unanswerable Reasons to prove that we ought not to be so abridged of our Christian Liberty to be constrained to hear only one sort of Preachers when it may be more for our Edification sometimes to hear others and he blames those who will not sometimes hear a Godly Learned Conformable Divine in the Neighbourhood and he says that more good has been done by the Preaching of Bishop Vsher Potter Abbot Proctor Sibbs Dod Ball Perkins Hildersham Wheatly Rogers and such Pious Episcopal Men than by the Ministry of rigid Separatists Mr. Bampfield altho' he were for the Observation of the Seventh-day-Sabbath yet expresses himself with great Charity and Respect towards those who differed from him confesses the Darkness of his own Understanding in Divine Truths and Subscribes to those who have a clearer Knowledge in the Mind of Christ tho' he concludes himself to be in the right yet he sees no Reason for quarreling with those whom he fears to be in the wrong Cassander a learned Romanist speaking of those who were fallen from their Church and numbered among Hereticks and Schismaticks it is saith he to be enquired how rightly and justly this is determined of them For there is to be considered as to the Church the Head and the Body from the Head there is no departure but by Doctrine disagreeable to Christ the Head from the Body there is no departure by diversity of Rights and Opinions but only by the defect of Charity George Keith a Learned Quaker writing against Dr. Bajer Professor of Divinity in Germany is so Candid as to tell his Adversary that he writes soberly and fairly of those things which he imputes to them meaning the Quakers as false and erroneous and he supposes his Adversaries Mistakes not to flow from Hatred or Malice of Mind which is too frequent in many others but of some defect of right Reason and Judgment and an Error of Humane Weakness Such is his great Charity which I wish were imitated by those who pretend to be more Orthodox I do not believe that every Christian is bound to understand the exact meaning of every difficult Text in St. Paul's Epistles but I think we are all obliged to practice every Precept of our Saviour's Sermon on the Mount My Lord Chief Justice Hales has well observed that there are many obstruse Points furiously agitated amongst Divines that are not necessary to be known nor possible to be understood without a clearer Revelation from God as particularly the Nature of the Divine Decrees and what influence they have upon the Minds of Men the resistibility and irresistibility of Divine Grace the manner of the Existence of Three Persons in the Unity of Essence the way of the transmission of Original Sin from the Parents to the Child the Extent of Chriist's Sacrifice and how far it was intentially for all or some the Nature of the Will of Man and how it operates towards his Conversion wherein the formal Nature of Justification consists and how far Faith singly considered is sufficient without habitual Holiness The reconciliation of Prescience and Predetermination with humane Actions and contingent Events with many more such Nice Points which wise and good Men humbly enquire into but brand not their Brethren with Malice or Hypocrisie because they differ from them in these things The great Esq Boyl tells us concerning the Calvinists and the Arminians that the truly Pious of either Party are perhaps otherwise lookt upon by God than by one another as contending which of the Divine Attributes should be most respected and honoured the one seeming to affirm irrespective Decrees to magnifie his Goodness and the other to deny them to secure the Credit of his Justice the one Party thinks Grace more magnify'd by believing it so irresistible that to whomsoever it s intended he cannot but be happy and the other thinks Free-Grace most extoll'd by believing it so universal that it will make every man happy if he himself pleases the one consigns to it an unlimited vast extent and the other an infallible victorious Degree Dr. Burton in his Sermons tells us that the way to Unity among Christians is to suppose our selves fallible in our Interpretations and to give our Brethren Liberty of judging what is the true Sence and Meaning of the Scriptures as well as our selves if we can but think the Words capable of the Sense they give or can believe they think it so though we do not so long as it does not overthrow the Foundations of Faith and Holiness or suppose to us it seems to do so so long as it does not so in them let us bear with one another Mr. Charnock observes though there be a smoak in the Temple yet so long as God has a Temple standing and Ordinances kept up let us imitate the Charity of the old Puritans and love all Christ's Disciples Mr. Callamy in his Sermon before the Parliament mentions one that Disputed so long about the five Controverted Points in the Schools 'till he had forgot the six Petitions in the Lord's Prayer If Men do but own the Merit of Christ in our Justification and the Spirit of Christ in our Sanctification let us own them as Brethren Bishop Hall preaching before K. Charles the first expresses himself thus Good Lord what uncharitable Censures are Men apt to pass upon each other let a Man be strict in Moral and Divine Duties though never so peaceable he is a Puritan and every Puritan is a Hypocrite let him be more Free in Conversation though never so Conscientious then he is a Libertine let him scruple some innovated Form and he is a Schismatick let him stand for Ancient Order and Government and then he is a Formalist in the mean Time who can escape free surely I that blame both shall be sure to be censured by both shall be Yes I am to purpose therein I rejoice and will rejoice What! a Neuter says one what on both sides says another this is what I looked for Yes truely Brethren you have hit it right I am and profess my self to be as the Terms stand on neither and yet of both parts I am for the Peace of both for the Humour of neither I wish all my Brethren were of my Mind our
you say complain so much of their miserable condition under the Prelats impositions have notwithstanding with the same Pens and Tongues not only justified our Church but extolled it You have found no sharper Adversaries in this very accusation for which you maliciously cite them How freely how fully have they evinced the Truth Yea the happiness of the Church of England against your false Challenges and your forehead dares challenge them for Authors So hath their Moderation opposed some appendancies that they have both acknowledged and defended the substance with equal vehemence to your opposition neither do they suffer as you traduce them for seeking another Church Government Would God you could follow those men in Moderate and Charitable carriage as you have outrun them in complaints Doctor Crakanthorp In his Defensio Ecclesiae Anglicanae ch 33. Sect. 15. Puritanum qui Haereticus sit tu opinor in Anglia neminem unquam comspexisti You never saw in England I believe any Puritan Heretical in his Judgment Certe eorum ferè nullus cui quisquam inter vos pietate vitae Sanctimoniâ doctrinâ etiam ne tu quidem qui Magister es in tuo Israele paucis eorum conferendus es Certainly scarce any one of them with whom any men of yours can be compared in Holiness of Life in Learning also not you indeed who are a Master in your Israel worthy to be named in comparison with them Doctor Edward Bulkley in his Apology for the Religion Established being an Answer to Wrights Articles Edit 1608. Art 5. p. 105 106. There is neither Protestant nor such as it pleaseth you to call Puritans so far forth as I know and believe but as they deny the Popes wicked Supremacy which he hath usurped over the Church of God and Soveraign Princes so they do unfeignedly confess and acknowledge the Kings Power and Authority in his Kingdoms and Dominions and in all Causes and over all persons both Ecclesiastical and Temporal or Political They all say with St. Paul that every Soul ought to be subject to the higher Powers whether they be as St. Chrysostom saith Apostle or Evangelist or Prophet whatsoever he be for this subjection doth not overthrow Godliness They all confess that it belongeth to his Royal dignity to see and procure not only Justice to be executed and peace maintained but also that God be truly and sincerely served according to his will revealed in his Word c. Bishop Andrews Respons ad Bellarmini Apologiam Edit 1610. p. 29. Bellarm. In Britanniâ magna multitudo Puritanorum qui Primatum non ad Regem sed ad Senatum Ministrorum pertinere Resp Putida hac calumnia est Presbyterio forte lis est cum Episcopis cum Rege nulla est Vtrobique regi desertur ultro utrinque quod Caesaris est Caesari redditur Doctor Caves Gospel Preached c. p. 98. Many of the Presbyterian perswasion are not only sound and Orthodox in the main Articles of the Reformed Religion but Learned and able Defenders of it zealous Protestors against all the Horrid wickedness of this Day Jan. 30. and active Instruments in bringing home our Banished King Doctor Burgess Pref. to Vindicat. of our Ceremonies Some peaceable and very worthy Ministers were cast out after the Conference at Hampton Court Whereupon it was intended to bring them in by a kind of necessity or to loosen from them others c. Postscript To Serious and Compassionate Enquiry The modesty and excellent temper of several ancient Non-Conformist of this Nation is a fair Copy for those to Write after that cannot yet be perswaded to come compleatly over to the Church and I will intreat all sober Non-Conformist to remember after the conference at Hampton Court when the Non-conformists could not obtain their desire they were not Transported with heat and passion but ingenuously promised the Bishops that they would nevertheless Reverence them as spiritual Fathers and joyn with them against the common Enemy Hookers Discourse of Justification p. 41 I doubt not but God was merciful to save thousands of our Fathers living in Popish Superstition inasmuch as they sinned ignorantly Item p. 87. That Churches Deceit hath prevailed over none unto death but only such as took a pleasure in unrighteousness They in all ages whose hearts have delighted in the principal Truth and whose Souls have thirsted after Righteousness if they received the mark of Errour the mercy of God even erring and dangerously erring might save them True state of the Primitive Church Epistle to the Reader I verily believe there are thousands of Papists Lutherans and Calvinists both Learned and Religious who would lay down their Lives for the Truth they profess King Charles the first upon the Covenant Sect. 4. Touching the Discipline and Government of the Church c. Things which are of no clear and moral necessity but very disputable and controverted among Learned and Godly men Sect. 7. Yet as things now stand good men shall least offend God or me by keeping their Covenant in honest and lawful ways since I have the charity to think that the cheif end of the Covenant in such mens intentions was to preserve Religion in purity and the Kingdoms in peace Idem to the Prince of Wales Be confident as I am that the most of all sides who have done amiss have done so not out of Malice but mis-information or mis-apprehension I alledge this not to excuse or justifie those persons much less their Solemn League or Covenant but to show his charitable Sentiment of them allowing good men to have been in the number lead away with that Error of the times King Charles the Seconds Declaration concerning Ecclesiastical Affairs 1660. pag. 5. When we were in Holland we were attended by many grave and Learned Ministers from home who were looked upon as the most able and principal Assertors of the Presbyterian Opinions with whom we had as much Conference as the multitude of Affairs which were then upon us would permit and to our great Satisfaction and Comfort found them persons full of affection to us of Zeal for the peace of the Church and State and neither Enemies as they have been given out to be to Episcopacy and Liturgy but modestly to desire such alterations in either as without shaking the Foundations might best allay the present distempers which the indisposition of the Times and Tenderness of some Mens Consciences had contracted Pag. 17. Item Because some men otherwise Pious and Learned say they cannot conform unto the Subscription required by the Cannon nor take the Oath of Canonical Obedience c. Appendix to the third part of the Friendly Debate pag. 143. Tells us that Doctor Jackson always reverenced their Excellent Parts and good Labours though he disliked the deformity of their Zeal c. Bishop Saunderson on Rom. 14.3 Sect. 29. I make no doubt neither dare I be so uncharitable as not to think but that many of them i. e. Non-conformists have
as an hypocrite professes what he believes not Serious and Compassionate Enquiry c. It becomes a Christian Magistrate who considers he governs Men and not Beasts to afford means of Instruction and competent time for those instructions to take place It hath always been found that Force without Instruction hath been prevalent onely on the worst of men When the Publick is secured yet there is great scope for his Compassion and consequently it is the Duty of a good Magistrate to drive as the Cattel can go pag. 211 212. Not to resort to such severities as are abhorred by all English-men pag. 113. Mr. Dodwel 's two Letters to Mr. Baxter pag. 216. You mean that all truly Pious and Conscientious persons ought to be treated with Candor and Respect before severe means be used or that the use of severe means is utterly to be forborn as far as may be that is as far as such forbearance may be reconcileable with the publick Interest which is to be preferred before the private of any person whatsoever I could for my part heartily wish it were so too Kidder 's Serm. 1 Pet. 3.11 pag. 22. We Quarrel first then we hate and when we are strong enough we persecute each other Vnion of the Catholick Church pag. 50. Men may make a noise with the Odious Names of Persecutions yet our Adversaries of both the Extreams have little reason to object that of which they themselves stand so deeply chargeable when in their power Principles and Practices of Moderation c. These persons the Moderate Divines of the Church of England are desirous that Mercy and Indulgence should be shown towards those whose Consciences will not permit them to comply with their Governours in some things disputable judging it a piece too near of kin to that of the cruel Procrustres ever to endeavour to force others to be just of their pitch and size in Opinions and to approve of their Sentiments Mr. Smythies Spirit of Meekness pag. 68. As the Galathians were overtaken in a fault Galat. 6.1 So we must account them likewise who have dissented from us Men that are guilty of Errours of practice they are wilful for they know they are wrong and yet they are to be treated with a Spirit of Meekness that they may be made sensible of their wickedness that they may be reclaimed without punishment by the Execution of Laws if it may be effected Much more then are others to be dealt tenderly with in their Errors of Judgment through weakness and inability of Mind for which they are to be pitied Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists Part 4. pag. 28. Whether men shall forfeit their Goods and Liberties for a Dissent in Religion by any Gospel-Rule or Rules of Christian Equity is a great Question and the Negative past doubt as yet Idem Part 3. pag. 5. The men speaking of Dissenters are given to pray hear Sermons sing Psalms and other pious Exercises and live if not better yet no worse than many that go to Church People think and say surely it is hard to drive honest Mens Cattle seize their goods break open houses for doing well Argument for Toleration and Indulgence in Difference of Opinion Printed 1681 pag. 3. Instead of bearing and Indulging to compel a person to serve the Deity in a way against the light and apprehensions he hath is the greatest Tyranny that can be for it is to compel him to the doing of a thing which on pain of Damnation he holds himself obliged not to do Item pag. 5 6. To be rigid and severe to others in matters of Opinion is not to comport with the Golden Rule of all our Actions prescribed by our Blessed Saviour which is to do as we would be done unto Wouldst thou be compelled thy self to anothers opinion that dost compel others Arguments and Reasons and not Capiasses and Imprisonments Fire and Faggot are proper means to effect it Thus the Ancient Fathers in all their Apologies to the Heaten in defence of themselves and the Christian Religion ever pleaded Mr. Kettlewel 's Measure of Obedience Edit 3. pag. 631. If we are rigorous and severe with our Brethren God will be so with us also and when he comes to judge us we shall find as little allowance at his hands as they have done at ours For he shall have judgment from God without Mercy who to men hath shewed no mercy but if any man hath been merciful to his Brethren God will be much more so to him This will be the best Plea that can be urged to obtain Mercy at Gods Hand Mat. 5.7 Peaceable Sentiments about Confessions and Articles of Faith BIshop Davenant 's Letter to Duraeus Unless the Forms of Publick Confessions be restrained to necessary and uncontroverted Doctrines this mischief will ensue that many Learned Pious and peaceable Pastors will be excluded and made unserviceable to the Churches where they live that therefore it doth behove the Rulers of the Church as being conscious of their own and of the infirmities of Mankind to be cautious least while they do require a too rigid and exact Confession they seem to weaken that sweetly necessary Communion which should be among themselves King Charles the Seconds Declaration from Breda That none forfeit his Benefice that subscribes all the Articles of Religion which only concern the Confession of the true Christian Faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Historia quinque Articularis Part 2. chap. 8. Cited by Dr. Puller 's Moder pag. 127. The Articles of this Protestant Church in the Infancy thereof were drawn up in general Terms foreseeing that Posterity would grow up to fill the same meaning that those Holy Men did prudently discover that difference in Judgments would unavoidably happen in the Church and were loth to unchurch any and drive them off from any Ecclesiastical Communion for petty differences which made them Pen the Articles in comprehensive words to take in all who differing in Branches meet in the Root of the same Religion Out of a Letter of the Bishops of Rochester Oxford and St. Davids to the Duke of Buckingham August 2. 1625. Exemplified in Heylin 's History of Archbishop Laud pag. 131. The Church of England when it was reformed from the Superstitious Opinions broached and maintained by the Church of Rome refused their apparent and Dangerous Errors and would not be too busie with every particular School point The Cause why she held this Moderation was because she could not be able to preserve any Unity amongst Christians if men were forced to subscribe to curious particulars disputed in Schools Some of them Montagues Opinions are such as are fit onely for Schools and to be left at more Liberty for Learn'd Men to abound in their own Sence c. Bishop Tailor 's Ductor Dubitant L. 3. chap. 4. R 28. Sect. 8. No particular Church ought with rigour to require subscription to Articles which are not evidently true and necessary to be professed because in
AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST BIGOTRY IN RELIGION OR A DISCOURSE proving from the Testimony of Kings Nobles Judges Bishops Deans Doctors c. That Wise and Good Men may differ one from another both in Doctrine and Discipline and maintain Christian Charity amongst themselves By a true Berean LONDON Printed in the Year 1694. AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST BIGOTRY IN RELIGION READER IT is a Matter of great Lamentation to consider of the Decay of true Primitive Christianity and that instead of it is sprung up Bigotism on the one side and Scepticism on the other Never was there more need to call for Engines and Buckets to quench the Flames of Contention now kindled amongst us upon the account of different Modes of Worship and Controverted Points of Doctrine My Design is not to Applaud or Condemn any one party of Christians among us but to perswade them all to be Humble and Charitable and to believe that they have finite Understandings and fallible Apprehensions and ought not to be peremptory for or against little things nor too positive in any thing but those great things wherein Christians are all agreed I would gladly know why another Man may not differ from me with the same Sincerity that I differ from him and why he may not as well call me a Knave or Fool for not being of his mind as I call him so for his not being of mine I may well ask the old Question Which way went the Spirit of God from him to me that I should smite my Fellow-servant with my Hand Tongue or Pen I hope the Sentiments of these great Men in the following pages will make the World more Modest for the future I am sure we have seen little good produced by all our Clamorous Reflections one upon another God help us Every Party amongst us Contends so eagerly for our several Forms that we have almost lost the Power and our Bigotry for Circumstantials hath almost swallowed up our true Zeal for the substantial part of Religion There is Truth enough among all Parties to Save Men and Malice enough to Dam Angels I think true Religion consists in our Love to God and one another I am sure our Great Lord and Master has told us so and I will venture my Salvation upon his Authority for whoever wants those Qualifications is as far from Eternal Blessedness as a Jew or a Mahometan notwithstanding his Bigotry for his particular Mode of Worship We have abundance of Protestant Popery now in England and think our selves as infallible in our several Churches as they do in theirs and make no scruple to cast all such into our fiery Furnaces who will not Bow down to the Images of our Imaginations did not our Laws tye our Hands behind us We have seen several Forms uppermost in England at one time or other but wise men are Indifferent about indifferent things and submit them to the Wisdom of their Superiors So long as God's Word is truly preached Sacraments rightly administred Peace and good Order preserved they trouble not themselves about Vesture Gesture Time and Place If there were a General Council called to resolve this Question viz. which among all the several Parties now in Christendom are most in the right I am perswaded they would be voted the wisest men and the best Christians who are of no Sect or Party but choose out of all that which is most agreeable to Truth and Reason and tends most to promote the Glory of God and the Salvation of Men. They are certainly in the surest way to Heaven who most abound with sincere Piety and Catholick Charity and can hold Communion with any true Church of Christ which is sound in the Substantials of Religion notwithstanding some different Modes of Administration so long as nothing is required which they judge to be sinful Give me the true Evangelical Catholick that does not confine Salvation to his own particular Communion nor call every man a Heretick that is not of his private Perswasion God Almighty never required of men an exact uniformity in Ecclesiastical Ceremonies nor Systimatical Opinions but he has made our Salvation and Damnation depend upon our Faith and Holiness and they are very consistent with divers ways of Worship and with variety of Apprehensions in divine matters The most wise and sagacious men among all Parties have exclaimed against Bigotry in Religion especially when their thoughts have run pure from dregs of secular Interest But if once they have been biassed by the fears of Displeasing a popular Congregation or by the hopes of obtaining some Ecclesiastical Promotion they have then discover'd a mighty Zeal for the silver Shrines of Diana I can truly say with the Reverend Dr. Tennison present Bishop of Lincoln that I heartily thank God I have found in Conversation so much of good Temper and real Piety in many Men upon whom Rashness had fixed Names of Infamy Epist to his Spittle Sermon 1681. Mr. Baxter gives this Character of the Inhabitants of the Parish of Kidderminster in Worster-shire whereof he was Minister viz. the things which I loved in you I will freely praise which were a special measure of Humility a plain Simplicity in Religion a Freedom from the Common Errors of the Times a readiness to receive the Truth a Catholick Temper without addictedness to any Sect an exemption from Schism and Separating ways a hatred and disowning of the Usurpations and Rebellions against the Civil Government an open bearing of Testimony in all these Cases together with Seriousness in Religion and a sober righteous charitable and godly Conversation Dr. Owen has told the World that they meaning the Independants never entertained a Thought uncharitable to such a Prodigy of Insolence as to exclude any sort of Christians from an Interest in the Love of God or Grace of Christ or Hopes of Salvation because they do not or will not comply with those ways and Terms of Church-Communion which they approve of How far saith the same Dr. Errors in Judgment or miscariages in sacred Worship which any sort of Professors have superadded unto Divine Truth may be of so pernicious a Nature as to hinder them from an Interest in the Covenant and to prejudice their Eternal Salvation God only knows But the Notion says he we have concerning the Nature and Will of God in Scripture do perswade us to believe that where men do in sincerity improve the Ablities and means of Kowledge of Divine Truth wherewith they are intrusted endeavouring withall to Answer their Light and Convictions with a suitable Obedience there are but few Errours of Mind of so malignant a Nature as absolutely to exclude such Persons from an Interest in Eternal Mercy And we look upon the Church of England or the Generality of the Nation Professing the Christian Religion measuring them by the Doctrine that has been preached to them and received by them since the Reformation to be as Sound and Healthful a part of the Catholick Church as any in the World